What does it take to be a pop star in Korea? Looks, an appealing personality, and according to Taiwanese singer Estrella Lin, the willingness to be pimped out by your agency.

Estrella Lin, former member of girl group 3EP Beauties, asserts that her agency attempted to barter her body to business investors while she was aiming to develop her career in Korea. The attempt was not successful, and now Lin has returned home and published a book revealing the corrupt nature of the Korean entertainment business, reports Taiwanese media.

According to Lin, actors, actresses, and singers are encouraged to sell their bodies, or are sometimes even forced, in order to obtain opportunities in Korea. The expectation is an unwritten rule in the entertainment industry of the country, said Lin.

The situation is not unheard of in Korea. Just in recent memory, actress Jang JaYeon of Boys Over Flowers fame, committed suicide in 2009 due to her coerced involvement in “casting couch” favors. Following the scandal (which was ruled inconclusive due to lack of substantial evidence), a survey of entertainers was conducted – it found that one out of five actresses were forced to provide sexual services to influential figures, or had witnessed their colleagues being compelled. Out of 2,000 entertainers who were asked to participate, only 183 responded. Of the 183, however, 19.1% admitted to personally participating in or knowing of someone who took part in the “couch casting” calls. Shockingly, 62.3 percent revealed that they would face disadvantages if they refused.

And Estrella? “I was pressured to ‘sexually’ entertain investors, but I never allowed myself to do so. I’m not afraid of Koreans protesting because what I said is true.” Lin was also told to change her date of birth from 1980 to 1985, as she was considered “too old” for the industry.

Details regarding Lin’s management company have not yet been revealed.

Sources: Korean Herald, Chosun Ilbo, Korea Times

My take: Seriously, is there something new about this?

Two years ago, South Korean Casting Couch system was unravelled thru the Jang Ja-yeon suicide saga. You all know who Jang Ja-yeon is, that she used to star in 2008 K-drama Boys Over Flowers, and how she suffered in the hands of her manager thru physicall/verbally abusing her when she refuses to provide sexual services to the honchos of Korean entertainment industry.

During a Taiwanese talk show, a picture of SNSD was shown, to which Kpop netizens----particularly Sones----flinched.

I dunno who Estrella Lin is, but bashing her as be fugly and a whore is just plain nonsense.

I know, she just landed in a small entertainment company, but this should not make us assume that all small-time companies always do like this. While I hate generalizing all Korean entertainment companies, even big-time companies also do the same shady thing like the small ones did. After all, where did these big companies started? From being small, ayt?

I understand that Casting Couch system also happens WORLDWIDE and I accept that, but what are y'all trying to imply as you mention this same statement? Entertainment industry is fucking dirty, granted, but what's frustrating is, in a conservative country like South Korea, bullshit things like Casting Couch even occured to think that Korean entertainment industry is trying to project themselves to the world how "clean" and "wholesome" their entertainment industry is. Not just industry, but actors and actresses, even singers, who happened to be acting cute and innocent, ending up prostituted themselves for popularity.

Also, the notion "Casting Couch system also happens WORLDWIDE, especially US" like what some Allkpop commenters are saying is like dissmissing the horrible truth happening in Korean entertainment industry, shrugging 'emselves off on that issue, and just a failed attempt to defend that K-pop industry is clean. Denial much? Probably yes. Yes, there are entertainment companies who do not have to resort to this shit, but does not mean big entertainment companies never did that to their own talents. Lately, I have read a certain article about Yoo In-na sexually harrassed by her former talent agency CEO, and she revealed that the CEO happened to be the famous singer. She first experienced harassment at the time she was 17, and was about to debut in a girlgroup.

You might sue me for a libel, but I guess the CEO she was referring to has a 3-letter name (an acronym to be exact) and lookin' like a certain animal specie. No need to name him, but the clue I gave is.just.obvious. If you are going to analyze his personality, you already know he does not live cleanly. If he is living clean, he won't be going thru a divorce with his wife [Side Note: the common-ness of divorce in South Korea is not an excuse for you to divorce your spouse], and he could have kids with the said wife as well. But no. He imposed a slavery contract towards his protegees, he made his protegees work non-stop with less sleep, almost depriving them of continuing their studies, he made his famous girlgroup to live isolatedly in the United States, he does not provide health insurance to his subordinates, and has to sell the CD of his famous girlgroup for a dollar at clothing stores in the US to be in Billboard top 100. Don't forget at how he fell into a huge debt.

Because of these lunacies, it's also possible that he could also molest a female underage talent. Although his might be just a performance, but look at his concepts during his stage performances, nothing new. All sexual.

Another thing, he is also famous singer of his time.

Well, this is just my assumption.

It could have happened to my idol and your idol.

BTW... after reading the comments related to Yoo In-na, it was assumed that the molester happened to be Lee SangMin, leader of the famous group in the 90s Roo'Ra, who created girlgroup Chakra, whose members included Hwangbo and Jung RyeoWon. The said members also happened to share the same birthyear as In-na did.

Then again, this is just an assumption.

It's even laughable when Sones ranted at Ms. Lin as being an ugly whore, and that their angels are pure and innocent. As usual. Is there anything to expect from that fangroup? SNSD may not need to resort to that stage; however, are they being objectified as well by the ahjussis as well? While they flaunt how pure and innocent they are, they are kinda' obliged to sell sex. That could be a casting couch the indirect way. There will be no perverted comic strips drawn upon SNSD if they are not hideously marketed. Wondergirls are sexy, but why ahjussis never created sexual comic strip to them, same thing with After School (who are far more aggressively sexy).

Casting Couch could happen to your idol. Even mine. You don't need to be angry at your idol. Just the fucked-up entertainment industry.